Nuts used to be the rage, and they have been recommended by many as healthy supplements in our daily diet. However, as many people are developing nut allergies, nuts may not be a suitable option for everyone.
So, why not bring in the seeds into your eating habits. Seeds are definitely more nutritious than nuts. And if you put in more varieties of seeds into your diet, you get to diversify the type of nutrients you can get.
Cashew “Nuts”
Low and behold, cashew is in fact a seed, not a nut. I found out about this two years ago when a friend of mine, who is allergic to nuts, told me that cashews are fine because they are in fact seeds. It is a good source of antioxidants, and it contains minerals like copper and phosphorous.
#1 Cashews in your curries
Generally, roasted cashew nuts taste great with Indian curries. Just add a handful to a dish of korma, or stir 1-2 handfuls into your Briyani rice for a healthy yummy addition to the flavour.
#2 Cashews with stir-fried vegetables
Many Chinese stir-fry vegetable dishes incorporate nuts as a complementary ingredient. Here’s a simple recipe with cashews for you to try:
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped diagonally
- 2 handfuls of lightly roasted cashew nuts
- 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp of grape seed oil
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
Steps:
- Heat up a wok, add the oil and stir-fry the sliced garlic until the aroma arises.
- Add in chopped celery stalk, and stir for about 3-5 minutes. Add the oyster sauce and mix well.
- Lastly, add the cashew nuts, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes before serving.
Tip: This dish works well as a side dish.
Flaxseeds
This seed contains high levels of Omega-3 fats. If taken in moderate amounts, it is good for the heart. Apart from that, flaxseeds also work as an anti-inflammatory agent.
#3 Flaxseeds in your morning cereal or yogurt
The nutritional effects of flaxseeds are best enjoyed by grinding them before adding them to your food. One way to add them to your diet is to sprinkle them onto your morning cereal or yogurt.
#4 Ground flaxseeds in your fruity smoothie
Another way to enjoy flaxseeds is to add them to your home-made fruit smoothies. Just blend in some ground flaxseeds to enhance the health benefits.
Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds also contain high levels of copper. In fact, it has higher levels than those found in cashew nuts. What’s great about them is that they is very easy to use as an ingredient, and they work perfectly as a nice garnish, too.
#5 Sesame seeds in your salad
The easiest way to enjoy sesame seeds is to sprinkle them over your salad. Or, you can add them to your salad dressing.
#6 Sesame seeds in your meat dishes
Another way to enjoy it is to add it to a meat dish. One of my favourite dishes is sticky pork ribs for which sesame seeds are a great complementary flavour. The sticky sauce helps to hold the seeds in place, and it makes a nice presentation. Here’s a simple recipe for you to try:
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 250g of tomato purée
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 500g of lean pork ribs
- 3 tbsp of honey
- 3 tbsp of sesame seeds
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Mix the tomato purée, crushed garlic, light soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and honey together in a bowl.
- Add the pork ribs into the bowl and coat them evenly with the sauce.
- Lay out a piece of aluminum foil on a baking tray, be sure to have enough foil to fold over to cover the meat.
- Lay out the ribs on the foil-covered tray, pour in the remaining sauce, cover them by folding over the remaining foil, then bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover, turn over the ribs, and bake for a further 40-50 minutes, or until most of the sauce has disappeared.
- Once baked, sprinkle the sesame seeds over the ribs on all sides before serving.
I hope you have an enjoyable time trying to add seeds into your daily menu. Stay tuned for more “seedy” articles in the near future.
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